Spinning a blend of Polwarth and Tussah

For some reason, I thought of spinning. Maybe it was the rain for days in a row. Getting my "wheel" out and deciding what thickness I want the finished yarn is the first process in spinning a batch of hand dyed fiber top I bought from Dicentra Designs on Etsy a while back. I do this by studying the fiber and colors, then imagine what I would like to wear with this sheen and texture. Should it be a scarf?.... or ...... It depends on how much I bought and if I will ply it alone or with another purchase of fiber. I bought a whole pound, so I should be able to knit a top if I want and I am careful with the spinning and design of the top.

I decided I am going to spin a fine fiber and make it a 2 ply. I can usually make a nice fingering weight with my Mini-Spinner by Hansen.

You can see for yourself how shiny the fibers are. I have stripped this the full length of the 4oz roving into 8 or more manageable widths, then opened them up by slightly pulling (attenuating) and separating the fibers making them easy to draft. This attention to how I prepare the fiber is what makes spinning a joy and getting the color lengths you want in your first ply.

Here is the first ply on the wheel. You can see the color progression as the Woo-lee Winder applies the spun fiber onto the bobbin. Note the beautiful natural wood bobbin my husband purchased for me at the Black Sheep Wool Gathering in 2019. I have collected several different woods to fit my Woo-lee winder flyer. (I feel spoiled)